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Report: First Ubuntu Tablet To Be Unveiled At MWC 2016 (softpedia.com)

Posted by Soulskill on from the no-word-on-Ubuntu-Glass dept.

prisoninmate writes: Canonical has been working on expanding the capabilities of Ubuntu Touch for a long time now, and it appears the company will reportedly unveil the first dedicated Ubuntu tablet device this year, during the upcoming Mobile World Congress 2016 event. Canonical has been working on implementing support for X11 apps on its Ubuntu mobile operating system, allowing users to run any graphical software that is currently in the Ubuntu repositories, such as GIMP or Firefox.

63 comments

  1. YAWN by binarylarry · · Score: 3, Interesting

    More vaporware.

    I use Ubuntu but jesus this shit is getting old.

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    1. Re:YAWN by binarylarry · · Score: 1

      Also I'm pretty sure Nokia had tablets running X11 like 10 years ago?

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      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
    2. Re:YAWN by SeaFox · · Score: 0

      I agree, Browsing this story on my Windows 8 (not RT) tablet on Firefox.
      When's the future coming again?

  2. how does it in any way an improvement? by Lead+Butthead · · Score: 1

    In the age of sub-100 dollar tablet, how is this product in any way superior to the existing solutions?

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    ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI!?
    1. Re:how does it in any way an improvement? by youngone · · Score: 3, Insightful
      I don't really see how it is better. My question is why would I want to run GIMP in a touch interface.

      That's the same confused mistake Microsoft made with Windows 8, is it a touch interface, should I use a mouse, what the hell are these great big tiles for?

    2. Re:how does it in any way an improvement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why not? A tablet is just another sort of computer, why should it be a special case where you're locked in to a proprietary OS?
      But I do agree on one thing: you should not achieve this by ruining the deskop/laptop experience a-la windows 8. Surely this is a problem that can be solved with abstraction of the interface layer and some user settings?

    3. Re:how does it in any way an improvement? by ozduo · · Score: 0

      My question is why would I want to run GIMP in a touch interface.

      well this applefanboy is travelling light (try touring on a vintage Vespa) and needs to make himself look more masculine on this travel selfie posing in front of one of those iconic must visit locations before posting it on his self opinionated 27 social media sites. His apple gadgets just aren't up to it.

      --
      I got to the chocolate box before you, that's why the hard ones have teeth marks.
    4. Re:how does it in any way an improvement? by KGIII · · Score: 1

      It's Ubuntu. I'll try one and then by as many as another half dozen for me and 64 of them tor the elementary school in the village.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    5. Re:how does it in any way an improvement? by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Most existing tablets that are not iPads or Surfaces are Androids, which DO run Linux. So how again is Android a proprietary OS?

    6. Re:how does it in any way an improvement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > I don't really see how it is better.

      It's not here yet. When it is, we'll see whether it is or not.

      > My question is why would I want to run GIMP in a touch interface.

      I don't know. Depends on the problem, I suppose. I've been reading good things about Krita and Mypaint, though. Not an artist myself... but Gimp has served me very well all these years. Simple but important stuff like souvenirs for my son's first anniversary. When you get a child, you'll be amazed how such little things do matter.

      > That's the same confused mistake Microsoft made with Windows 8, is it a touch interface, should I use a mouse, what the hell are these great big tiles for?

      Metro is not bad because of a mouse, it's bad because of the way it is.

      IMHO there are two kind of persons wanting to use a tablet: the ones who love iOS and Android (and hate desktops) and those who use desktops and dream of having greater mobility. The first kind will go away the minute you talk about desktop applications on a tablet; the second kind want to have the same Liberty they already have, plus freedom of movement.

      The first ones already got iOS and Android and that's OK for them. Should Ubuntu "emulate" Android?

      The second ones are in for some surprises... (I speak without knowing how Ubuntu's interface will work). I could describe what I do on my desktop and what atomic operations I'd like to have (e.g. shading a window). But suffice it to say that the present interface that so much please the first crowd I described above, is totally inadequate for traditional desktop users like me. Typing is a torture (I more or less quit writing correctly, my fingers cannot hit the right letter and the keyboard keeps being reset to Android's with FUD insinuations about security), selecting text with those two sliding markers is awful, long presses (for copying) are a nuisance and, last but not least, I'm used to 1920x1080... at current smartphones' DPI, I won't be able to read anything, but maybe with a 10" (or 11.6"), 1366x768 tablet, maybe things get usable... but I bet I'll need that chromecast feature.

    7. Re:how does it in any way an improvement? by nnull · · Score: 1

      Not really superior to anything. If anything, I see it as a complete and utter failure for linux and the opensource community again to get into the tablet and phone market where it ended up being dominated by the big manufacturers. So, now we have completely locked down proprietary hardware where none of the opensource OS's will run on and the manufacturers pretty much dictating to us this is how it's going to be from now on. Samsung is a great example of this.

    8. Re:how does it in any way an improvement? by greenfruitsalad · · Score: 3, Insightful

      there's gnu/linux and there's googlecrap/linux. i, for one, want as many parts of my OS to be free as possible. i don't really care if my image editor is free or not but when it comes to my OS and communications apps, i want those open and free.

      btw, in android, aosp apps have 1/10 the functionality of their closed sourced googleapps versions. i know, because i'm paying the bitter price of freedom. i run cyanogenmod without any gapps, with fdroid and amazon as my software sources.

    9. Re:how does it in any way an improvement? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      screw free and open. Just give me a proper unix userland and relegate the graphical BS to the duties it does best, i.e. displaying text consoles.

    10. Re:how does it in any way an improvement? by anon+mouse-cow-aard · · Score: 1

      It's not a mistake. Do you have a touch version of gimp handy? no? That's the problem. For gimp the idea is that you use the keyboard and mouse and you can use it as a completely "traditional" computer. but you can use it as a tablet for the stuff that works well with that... those are going to be other apps, because of the need to allow for humungous fingers that blot out half the screen whenever you do anything, rather than mouse pointers. The only way to do convergence is to let both worlds live together, give easy switching, and see what the software does over time.

    11. Re:how does it in any way an improvement? by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Instead of the 'googlecrap', you could take Replicant or Cyanogenmod. At least from the latter, one would be able to run Android apps. What exactly does one run on Ubuntu Touch? Firefox?

  3. Gnome 3 is worse than Android by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is it designed for the poorest countries only? Here, we have expectations because of Apple...

  4. Sounds great by FunkSoulBrother · · Score: 2

    This actually might get me to look into tablets. My requirements are basically being able to run adblock, and access to the filesystem. Oh and not being produced by a literal advertising firm.

    1. Re:Sounds great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1
      You could have done that a long time ago:

      Buy Windows Tablet
      Install VirtualBox
      Install Ubuntu guest
      Run said guest in full-screen mode

      You're welcome

    2. Re:Sounds great by LichtSpektren · · Score: 1

      I wouldn't classify Google as an "advertising firm", but on Android tablets, you can sideload Adblock Plus or Adguard (I can't get the former to work on cellular data, but the latter works like a charm for me). 6.0 has a file explorer built into the settings, but there's also a myriad to download from the Play Store.

    3. Re:Sounds great by FunkSoulBrother · · Score: 1

      What would the battery life be on a solution like that? Just because I don't like Apple locking down my devices doesn't mean that I don't like very long battery life and solid hardware design (minus the lack of ports)

    4. Re:Sounds great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...then you're already covered by every Android tablet ever made.

    5. Re:Sounds great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Given where the vast majority of revenue for Google comes from, what would you classify them as?

    6. Re:Sounds great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      They're similar to ARM tablets these days, genrally in the 7-11 hour range for light usage. Intel has made *massive* strides in power consumption over the past few years (unlike their performance).

    7. Re:Sounds great by Lunix+Nutcase · · Score: 2

      You wouldn't classify Google based on its core product? Why?

    8. Re:Sounds great by Lunix+Nutcase · · Score: 1

      Then you've had that since XP tablets more than a decade ago.

    9. Re:Sounds great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You wouldn't classify Google based on its core product? Why?

      Because selling advertising space is just the business model. Advertising companies create and run advertising campaigns, if you wanted to classify Google based on their business model of selling advertising space around their services then they are more a hosting provider or digital realestate company.

      Ultimately they are a technology company, that is how they get their revenue. Whilst some technology companies get their revenue directly from the product end user, Google's business model is to get it via 3rd parties that get it from the end users (often many paying end users will subsidize the non-paying ones). This is in the same way that just because a software company puts out an ad-supported version of their software that doesn't make them an advertising company.

  5. Report: First Ubuntu Tablet To Be Unveiled At MWC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because the world doesn't have enough tablets yet...

  6. sub $100? sub $50....bought a new one for $35 by turkeydance · · Score: 3, Funny

    next, they'll be free in a box of Cheerios.

  7. Great, more ads masquerading as stories by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I thought these were supposed to have a different color to make them obvious they're ads. I liked Slashdot better before a good portion of the stories were actually ads being posted to keep DICE from going under.

  8. I would love an Ubuntu tablet by LichtSpektren · · Score: 2

    I would get an iPad Pro or the Pixel C but the office apps on them are crippled (I regularly use regex, mail merges, macros, etc.). So an Ubuntu tablet with an attachable keyboard would be perfect for my usage. Looking forward to it!

    1. Re:I would love an Ubuntu tablet by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You have been able to have one for years. Just go buy a intel based tablet and install ubuntu.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    2. Re: I would love an Ubuntu tablet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But...does it run Linux?

    3. Re:I would love an Ubuntu tablet by 4im · · Score: 1

      I would get an iPad Pro or the Pixel C but the office apps on them are crippled (I regularly use regex, mail merges, macros, etc.). So an Ubuntu tablet with an attachable keyboard would be perfect for my usage. Looking forward to it!

      Question: why not go the laptop / notebook / ultrabook / whateverthecurrentmarketingnameis route instead, if you need a physical keyboard anyway? Or, in case you don't need mobility, a classic desktop PC? You can usually run Ubuntu just fine on these. You know, right tool for the job and all...

    4. Re:I would love an Ubuntu tablet by umafuckit · · Score: 1

      I would get an iPad Pro or the Pixel C but the office apps on them are crippled (I regularly use regex, mail merges, macros, etc.). So an Ubuntu tablet with an attachable keyboard would be perfect for my usage. Looking forward to it!

      It's called a laptop.

      --
      soylentnews.org
    5. Re:I would love an Ubuntu tablet by swb · · Score: 1

      I loved my iPad but decided I needed a portable real computer so I got an Asus Zenbook.

      I might have gotten another iPad if they had supported a BT mouse, but they didn't, and for the cost of an iPad Pro I ended up with a much more flexible computer that's not really any heavier to carry around and is light years more flexible. Plus I have a TB of storage (I swapped in a new SSD), and if I really miss the iPad, I can always just use the web in full screen mode with the touch display.

      Battery life isn't quite as good, but rare is the amount of time where I need 5+ hours of battery life, and if I do, well, I can always buy a 20,000 mah portable battery with 19v output.

    6. Re:I would love an Ubuntu tablet by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      What's wrong with a Surface Pro? That will run full office apps, or Ubuntu.

      --
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      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  9. First commercial product..... by Lumpy · · Score: 2

    Ubuntu runs brilliantly on the Microsoft Surface line. it in fact runs better than Windows 10 does. and I've been running ubuntu on Fujitsu Stylistics for well over 6 years now.

    honestly building a dedicated tablet for it stupid. just install ubuntu on one of the China $199 core duo surface tablets and call it done.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    1. Re:First commercial product..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      - just install ubuntu on one of the China $199 core duo surface tablets and call it done.

      Could you please give a link to any tablet of that price that will run Linux natively with full driver support for all its chipset?

    2. Re:First commercial product..... by bazorg · · Score: 1

      Ubuntu on Surfaces runs better than Windows? Care to expand on that? Sounds like a fun afternoon project.

    3. Re:First commercial product..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Ubuntu on Surfaces runs better than Windows? Care to expand on that? Sounds like a fun afternoon project.

      It's pure hyperbole. It's like saying Ubuntu runs better on a Mac than OS X. In both situations Microsoft/Apple are the folks who designed and built the devices and hence would no doubt ensure that their own OS mated perfectly and smoothly with the hardware. Ubuntu on the Surface has no such luxury as anything that doesn't immediately work has to be reverse-engineered, with no gurantee of full functionality or working at all compared to the officially targetted OS for the hardware.

      Besides, Windows 10 has integrated tablet support and is developing an ecosystem specifically designed for tablets. Ubuntu are getting there but are in no way as far along as Microsoft. This thing will die in the arse along with every other thing Canonical has tried (apart from enterprise support, which seems to be the only thing making them money).

    4. Re:First commercial product..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Known Linux zealot claims his choice of Linux distro runs better than Windows. News at 11!

    5. Re:First commercial product..... by umafuckit · · Score: 2

      This has certainly been my (limited) experience with Linux on Apple laptops. I've had annoying touchpad behavior and random failure to enter suspend on lid close (about 1% to 5% of the time). Twice I put the machine in my bag and pulled it out very hot because it failed to suspend.

      --
      soylentnews.org
    6. Re:First commercial product..... by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      Ubuntu on surface doesn't have the well known wifi chipset problem that causes disconnection or low bandwidth, it will also sleep properly as windows 10 still has some Surface sleep issues that will turn it into a backpack heater, it also runs faster.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    7. Re:First commercial product..... by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      I'm a MAC zealot you insensitive CLOD!

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    8. Re:First commercial product..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I can't be the only digital artist out there. Simply put, a core duo just isn't powerful enough, nor is the screen nice enough to use as a digital canvas.

      I have a Samsung Note 2014 edition with a Wacom digitizer, and it is actually pretty nice for running apps like Sketchbook. However, it's limited to 1280x960 and (roughly) a dozen layers. When you start hitting the pixel limit, things get really wonky.

      More and more, I'm looking at the Surface line. Specifically the Surface 4 Pro. I need the RAM, processing power, and stylus interface for what I want to do. If Ubuntu can get Krita running well with a stylus on their tablet for less than the Surface Pro I want (~1300), then they'd have another customer. Even if I have to swap out the UI for something that isn't crap.

  10. Continuum wins by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Continuum wins, really, if that is what Canonical can do with Unity on unifying devices, then Continuum 1) has a market lead already, and 2) much nicer and better at unifying the devices.

    Canonical lost the unified device interface war.

    Now, if somebody can bring Continuum to Linux, I am all for it. It's a DE with awesome potential.

    1. Re:Continuum wins by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Continuum is a sad joke.

    2. Re:Continuum wins by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      So is Unity, and FirefoxOS, open source is no better, if anything, it's worse. A tablet is NOT a desktop, just as a desktop is NOT a tablet, Continuum caters for both, what does Ubuntu give us? A desktop on a tablet, the SAME thing we CRITICISED Microsoft off with Windows 8 and 10, so they give us BOTH with Continuum as a means to unify and transition between. What has Ubuntu given us? This piece of tripe.

    3. Re:Continuum wins by unixisc · · Score: 1

      But Unity is a better interface for tablets than for desktops. If anything, Canonical might have some better luck here, except that Android already has all the apps

  11. Please Canonical - by MrKrillls · · Score: 2

    Please Canonical, please release this tablet worldwide. Please don't exclude important markets like was done with the phones. It is frustrating to have Linux phones only partially available (not full functioned in US). I am dying to use Linux for all my computing needs.

    --
    Don't step on the baby.
    1. Re:Please Canonical - by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      I am dying to use Linux for all my computing needs.

      I am also into hardcore BDSM.

  12. what about drivers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Running Linux (debian in my case) on a tablet would be an almost trivial task, but most Android tablets peripherals don't have free+open drivers: you're forced to use binary blobs in the hope they will work with your kernel.
    So far - please correct me if I'm wrong - only a few people managed to get an usable native Linux install on tablets and I believe none of them still have full support for all devices (audio, Wifi, 3/4G, accelerometers etc.).

    1. Re:what about drivers? by ChunderDownunder · · Score: 1

      Buying an Ubuntu tablet won't necessarily fix the blob issue.

      Last I checked Ubuntu Touch was running a stripped down Android HAL inside an lxc container to provide hardware access, with Mir and other services bootstrapped via libhybris.

    2. Re:what about drivers? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      AFAIK the EEE Slate is all-supported. It's kind of old now, but I think you could get them with an i5, and they had wacom combo pen/multitouch displays. My lady has a Fujitsu T900, which is the same thing with an i7, but it's super-bulky. Still cheaper than a Cintiq.

      --
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    3. Re:what about drivers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nobody said Android tablet, please go back to reading comprehension 101.

  13. ok but when will hackers get windows running on it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Derp?!

  14. Innovation by manu0601 · · Score: 1

    Times are weird, as we are proposed running decade-years old technology as a new feature.

  15. Linux for tablets with a full C compiler by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Great news, i want a tablet that lets me use all of my current programs on the move like this. Using a C compiler will make all my programs availiable on my tablet and let me make more of them as well as let others make more efficient programs as well instead of just using a managed interface like Android. Fuck managed OS's thats why microshit is mostly crap.

  16. Stop Using Mir by StormReaver · · Score: 1

    I wanted to buy an Ubuntu or KDE tablet, but they both have major problems: Ubuntu Touch uses Mir, so can't run Java. Plasma Mobile support for tablets is very sparse, and the ones it supports are very expensive.

    I'm getting really tired of Android (iCrap isn't an option under any circumstances), and want a tablet that will run plain Java and is Free (note the difference between Free and free). Microsoft Surface does Java great, but ewwww Microsoft. And the Surface is too expensive.

    Give me a Free tablet at a reasonable price that runs Java, and I will buy.

  17. More Ubuntu vaporware? by tetraverse · · Score: 1

    @binarylarry: "More vaporware .. I use Ubuntu but jesus this shit is getting old. ref

    I see, how do you know this ;)

    "Mundo Reader, S.L., trading as bq, is a Spanish producer of smartphones, tablets, electronic readers, and 3d printers founded in 2009.[1] In 2014, the company had a total revenue of 202.5 million euros"

    1. Re:More Ubuntu vaporware? by Vanderhoth · · Score: 1

      I'd give them the benefit. I use Ubuntu as well and have been looking forward to Ubuntu Phone or Ubuntu on a mobile device for awhile, two to three years at least. I'm looking forward to the day my phone can literally be everything for me. Get a docking station at home and work, use it as a phone/camera/video cam/calculator/mobile browser on the go, snap it into the docking station and have a full blown PC with a full OS I can work on.

      Ideally, the docking station could be shaped like a laptop with a full keyboard and attached full size monitor so I could move from room to room or take it to meetings easily.

      It's coming, I know it's coming, but it doesn't change the fact I've been having that dream for several years.

  18. Too Late by Ayanami_R · · Score: 1

    So non convertible tablet sales are tanking, and they're still going to go ahead with this... OK. So late to the game.

    --
    "Science is the power of man"